


Summer Delights

by rvsirene



Series: Hayffie Summer Week [3]
Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: F/M, Hayffie Summer Week
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-08-07
Packaged: 2020-08-11 06:55:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20149510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rvsirene/pseuds/rvsirene
Summary: The kids surprise Haymitch with a summer holiday.





	Summer Delights

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Hayffie week!  
Day 3: Summer Nights.

"I don't want to go!" Haymitch grumbled as Peeta rolled his empty suitcase into the living room.  
"Well you're going," Katniss replied stubbornly. "Annie and Jo want to see you and Peeta and I would like some peace."  
"Peace? How do I disturb you?" Haymitch demanded, suddenly offended. He wasn't a loud person, surely he didn't cause them that much upset?  
"It is tiring having to pick you up all the time, this'll be a holiday for Katniss and I too!" Peeta chuckled cheerfully. _ Too cheerfully... _

"You're up to something..." Haymitch furrowed his eyebrows as he tried to guess their game. "Are you-" he couldn't even finish the thought. "Is this... Is this the same as getting your parents out of the house so you can-" Haymitch made a face. The very thought of the kids doing _ that _ wasn't a welcomed one. "_ Are _ you?" He was spluttering in pure disgust. The fact that they wanted him not only out of the village, but out of the district... _ What on Earth were they planning to do? _

"No!" The kids both snapped at the same time, their faces were red and they were both looking to each other in the hopes of the other saving them...

"We just thought a holiday would be nice for you!" Peeta said smoothly, his face still a bright shade of red. "It's nothing like that at all, _ really _ Haymitch..." Katniss nodded, clearly not willing to talk about the subject at hand. "Don't you want to see Annie and Jo?"

"I mean, they could always visit us," Haymitch shrugged. "Don't see why I have to go all the way to them. Can't be missing me that much." Katniss shot Peeta a pleading look which only made Haymitch more suspicious... Only he didn't have time to mention it because suddenly the boy was pushing him upstairs.

"Well you're going, and that's it. So go and shower and pack. Your train is at 6 this evening." One more shove and they left his living room.

For a moment, Haymitch debates just going back to drinking. He wonders if the children would truly force him. Then he wonders what on Earth they could be up to.  
But most of all, he's shocked at how tempted he is to go and shower.

His life has been lonely as of late, the kids have rekindled and grew closer. He had watched in jealousy. He and Effie were still not on speaking terms. She had asked him not to talk to her when he'd last seen her. And Haymitch had obliged, hoping that giving her space would help her.

Except it seems to have pushed her away from him. The space between them now... It was too scary to breach. They had never been good at talking. And Haymitch couldn't set himself up to start the conversation, _ what if she rejected him? What if she really didn't want to see him ever again? _

It would crush him.

Haymitch already knew. The lack of contact right now was crushing him, but it was something he could live with. There were no proof for his suspicions, no outright evidence of her _ never _ wanting a them. He wasn't sure he could hear the words. He'd had his heart broken before and he was going to protect it this time...

All in all, his life had become sad.  
He _ missed _ having someone in his life. The children visited him often but watching them make eyes at each other over the dinner table... Or laughing at an inside joke... It just made him miss Effie.

Perhaps seeing Annie, Finn and Johanna in Four would make him feel better. A family unit instead of a couple... A kid to distract him from his crippling loneliness... Johanna to keep him company with banter...

It didn't sound unappealing and that worried him.

Haymitch had never yearned for social interaction. At least not so obviously. He'd always been content drinking himself to death in his house.

Something about peace was making him bitter.

He had suffered, he had stressed over Effie, he'd fucked up with leaving her and half the kids in the Capitol, he had sobered up... All for peace. And yet he'd never felt so restless. And yet watching the children grow together, to love each other once again... It didn't bring him as much happiness as he'd thought.  
Mostly because he'd thought he'd be doing the same with Effie.

So he showers, and Haymitch packs a bag.  
He doesn't have much to pack, some sweatpants, a couple of shirts. A nice suit set just in case he needs it. He's never owned that much stuff, Effie had been the one to fill up his closet. After the war, his stuff had still been here. Most of it was good quality and they hadn't aged badly...

His suspicion only grew when the kids came around at 5pm to check on him. And then ushered him to the train station with a strange sense of excitement.

"What are you planning?" Haymitch asked as they waited for the train. They kept exchanging glances, devious grins that promised trouble... "You can tell me, I won't be mad."

And he was telling the truth, they hadn't played many jokes on him, he couldn't stay mad at them for being kids. They hadn't been given much of a chance to have fun. And Haymitch refused to get in the way of that now that they could.

"We're not planning anything," Katniss said with amusement. Haymitch shot her an incredulous look and she smiled innocently - or rather, what he suspected she thought was innocent. "There's nothing happening."

Peeta let out a chuckle at his girlfriend's obviousness and as quickly as it had gone, Haymitch's yearning for Effie was back.

They didn't need to convince him much to get on the train after that.  
A change of scenery might make him feel better, he convinced himself. Maybe he could find someone to sleep with. Someone he won't have to face ever again...

Haymitch had never liked trains.

His first journey on one was full of terror. The terror of having to survive in an arena with twice the amount of children. The terror of thinking he was going to his death...

The second time, had been more excitement. The anticipation of seeing his family again, his girl... It was all dashed by the pile of ashes he had found instead. The white rose so vibrant against the charred ruins of his family, of his home. He still remembered it well, just closing his eyes.

And then, as a mentor. Having to shuttle children to their deaths every year. Bringing them back in body bags and ignoring their grieving family members glares...

The only time he had ever looked forward to the train journey was when he'd started sleeping with Effie. Two years after they'd first done it... He'd stopped looking around for other people. _ What was the point? _ She was always willing and he'd only wanted her... That should've been his first warning. But he hadn't listened.

Now, he'd have to get by with a book.

* * *

By the time he got to Four, he was tired and bored.

And by the time he reached the hotel, he was dying for a drink.

"Haymitch Abernathy," he told the lady at the desk. She looked up at him with no spark of recognition...

"You can go right up," she informs him cheerfully, handing him a keycard. "Your wife is already there." The woman sends him a cheerful smile before looking behind him at the next person in line.

Haymitch isn't quite sure what to say, so he simply moves out of the way.

She must be mistaken. The receptionist looked young, perhaps she didn't realise he was a victor...

He watched the numbers go up in the elevator as he began to worry, _ would there be some random woman in his room? _ A fan? Maybe he should've argued with the lady in reception, demanded another room...

But Haymitch had always been to curious for his own good.

He found his room easily enough and he didn't hesitate in swinging open the door.

"Ah!" His body recognised the gasp before his brain caught up. And for a moment, he could've sworn he felt his heart _ clench... _

"Haymitch?" Effie was staring at him with wide eyes. "What on earth are you doing here?" She looked uncomfortable and it made his heart ache even more... _ She wasn't happy to see him. _ This was exactly what he had meant to avoid...

The realisation dawned on him. All the sneaky looks, mischievous smiles...

"Stupid _ fucking _ meddling kids..." He cursed under his breath, throwing his bag to the side of the room in frustration.

"Haymitch?" Effie insisted. "Why are you in my hotel room?"  
"I should be asking you the same question," he said, his voice laced with sarcasm.  
"Johanna and Annie bought me a holiday for my birthday," she frowned. "Is something wrong with one of the kids? Is that why you're here?"  
"Something's about to be fucking wrong with them," he hissed. _ He could kill them... _ He'd said he wouldn't be mad but this was something else. To force him to face this, to hear her rejection... He wasn't mad, he was _ furious. _  
"Language," she snapped, clearly she was getting annoyed because she crossed her arms across herself. It was only then he paid attention to what she was wearing.

A red dress.  
It had to be _ fucking _ red... It didn't look as expensive as her older stuff but she still looked good. She hadn't put on a lot of weight since he last saw her. She was slimmer than before the war still. But her cheeks had filled out and that made her look a lot healthier...

"What do you mean?" She sighed irritatedly. "If you could just give me a straight answer. I'd like to enjoy my holiday."  
"Yeah," he chuckled bitterly. "Me fucking too."  
"Mind your language in my hotel room!" She sounded exasperated... _Angry. _ Haymitch was feeling the same.  
"_ Our _ hotel room," he corrected with a sneer. Her eyes went wide and she shook her head.  
"Of course not! You're wrong." But she reached out to grab her phone...  
"Go on, call them! The sneaky buggers set us up!" He threw his arms in the air in frustration and grabbed his own phone... "I'm going to call the fucking kids," he said unnecessarily, walking to the balcony and slamming the door.

They answered almost immediately.

"What the _ fuck _ did you do?" He practically shouted.  
"Now, Haymitch..." Peeta tried to comfort him. But he wasn't having any of it.  
"The fuck do you think you're doing meddling in my life boy?" He hissed, putting his head in the hand not holding the phone and just, trying to get a hold on his emotions...

He knew for certain it was Peeta's doing, Katniss was too oblivious.

"You miss each other!" He exasperated, as if it was that easy. Perhaps to him, it was.  
But there was nothing easy about him and Effie. The lack of communication in their relationship alone was proof enough of that. If one could even call what they had a relationship. He hadn't even known he had feelings other than lust for her until he'd reached Thirteen.

_ That's not entirely true, _ a part of him says. He knew he felt something when he stopped looking for other women. He knew he felt something when he felt that hot lick of jealousy deep in his stomach when she flirted with other men... He _ knew _ he had felt something for a long time but he had been lying to himself.

"That's besides the point," he sighed... The anger had left him as quickly as it had came. Now he was just exhausted and wanted a drink. And he wanted to leave, he wanted his house and his geese and his bed... He didn't want to open this can of worms. He had been perfectly happy hiding away in his house. "You had _ no _ right to meddle in my life." He cringed, hearing himself. He sounded like a teenager...

"When are you going to stop treating me like a kid?" Peeta accused. "She misses you, I know she does. Katniss might not see through her phone calls but _ I do _. And you miss her. Why are you both doing this to yourselves?"

"It's more complicated than that," Haymitch argued. _ But was it? _ He wasn't sure. Their relationship was like a maze, there were so many twists and turns. He didn't even know where to start with them...  
"Then make it simple," Peeta simply said before he hung up.

For a moment, Haymitch stares at his phone in disbelief. Then he curses under his breath.

He turns away from the view, looking into the hotel room at Effie. She is sat on the bed, _ one bed for the two of them, _ her hands clenched and her eyes on the bedside table. Her mouth isn't moving so she must be listening to whatever Johanna and Annie are saying...

Her gaze drifts over to him, it's so casually done that he wonders if she's had been looking at him outside when he was in the phone. She startles a little when she notices him staring back but she doesn't avert her gaze. He refuses to be the first one to cower and so they end up watching each other.

Every now and then, her gaze will leave his face and travel down his body. It's not out of lust, or at least he doesn't think so. It's out of the same need as his own assessment of her is. The need to know what they've become _ without _ each other.

He knows she can see he hasn't been taking care of himself. Just like he can tell with her. He knows she can see that he's not been eating properly, that he's back to drinking... And he knows that despite the tan from the sun that's given her a healthy glow, she hasn't been either...

Every moment more that she looks at him feels stretched... And a part of Haymitch just wants to open the window and hold her, wrap her up in his arms and never leave her again. Now that all his emotions have faded, there's no anger and there's no surprise. There's just this dull ache in his chest calling him to her, the same ache that's been there for the last year and a half.

Then she looks away.  
Her eyes drop to her feet as she begins to talk on the phone. And Haymitch isn't sure what to do. It seems rude to just walk in there and listen to her conversation... _ But when has he ever cared for being polite? _

So he reaches out and bends the handle down.  
And it doesn't open.

The sound must alert Effie because her eyes snap back up to him and then she's smiling.  
The sight is so heartwarming, so... _ wonderful _ that for a moment, he just stops and admires the sight. It's the first time he's seen her smile so genuinely and carefree since the war.

Then he's desperate to keep this mood, so he tries the door again but it must have locked when he slammed it because _ it won't open. _

Effie finishes her call.

Haymitch isn't sure if she rushes because of him but the minute she puts the phone down she's rushing towards the balcony to let him in.

"Stupid, _ fucking _ door..." He's mumbling, still trying to get it open.

"You are an idiot," she chuckles, pulling the door open for him. Haymitch stands there for a moment, drinking in the sight of her again. He can feel himself smiling back at her unintentionally. He doesn't mind her laughing at him. Not when her eyes are bright and she looks this _ radiant. _  
"Thanks sweetheart," he says finally.

He finally heads back inside the hotel room and sits himself on the sofa. Then he slaps his knees with his hands awkwardly and glances up at her.

"Suppose we should talk," he shrugs.  
"I- Yes." Effie nods.

She takes a seat across from him, her shoulders turned in because her hands are gripping onto the end of the chair, her arms straight by her side... She looks closed off and uneasy. Haymitch can't help but feel the same.

"What did the kids say?" He asks because it's a start. Maybe he get back to the lighthearted mood they had just found...  
"Annie said we should talk," she said with a sigh, she shuffled backwards into the chair and got more comfortable, clearly anticipating a long conversation. "Johanna was more _ explicit._"  
"Ah," he chuckled with a smirk that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Peeta wasn't very friendly to me either."  
"I can imagine," she agreed, a little forced. There was an awkward silence before either of them spoke again.

"I'm sorry," Haymitch offered. He wasn't one for apologies but he supposed she deserved one.  
"For what?" She said bitterly.  
"Leaving you?" He offered. "Both times?"  
"Alright." Effie nodded. "I forgive you for that."  
"You do?" He asked, a little surprised.  
"Yes." She fiddled with her hands for a moment. "I do understand why you did it. I think I would've done the same. But it doesn't erase the fact that it hurt."  
"I know," he sighed. "If I could change what happened, I would princess."  
"Me too." A beat of silence passed again and Haymitch ran his hand over his face in frustration, he wasn't sure how much of this he could take.

"I'm sorry too. For being a stranger."  
"It's okay, I get that too," he shrugged.  
"Things don't have to be weird between us anymore, do they?" She asked. For the first time in this conversation, their eyes meet. He holds her gaze when he replies.  
"No sweetheart, they don't."

She nods.  
"You don't have to call me that anymore," she announced sadly. "I'm not really a princess _ or _ your sweetheart anymore."  
"Do you want to be?" He rushed the words out before he could lose the courage. He wasn't sure what the point of her bringing this topic up. He called everyone sweetheart, and he had _ always _ called her princess.

"That's besides the point," she countered, looking away...  
"Is it?"  
"Do you want me to be?" She asked instead.  
"I ain't answering if you ain't."  
"I guess we shall live in doubt then," she joked without much amusement. Her words hung in the air, the room filling with uncomfortable silence _ again. _

"Do you want me out of your hair?" He asked suddenly, very seriously. "I will buy another room, and catch a train back if you want." He wouldn't stay in Four. He already knew that. Not knowing she was here, in the same hotel. So close yet so far...

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "I do want to clear the air between us Haymitch. But there's so much, I do not even know where to begin." He studied her for a moment before making a noise in agreement.  
"Alright then, sweetheart. You start talking and we'll figure things out."

And she did.  
She told him all about how she felt being left in the Capitol. How she'd felt abandoned, _ used. _ How she was still struggling and a part of her resented him for that. About how she had been confused about their relationship and where she had stood. About how _ miserable _ she was about being unable to move on from him.

Everything came out and it was in jumbled order but it felt _ good. _

She told him about her imprisonment. How it had affected how she had saw him afterwards. The battle she had felt inside after he had left, having to piece him back together in her mind because she wasn't sure entirely _ who _ he was anymore...

He had to pour a drink halfway through her talking.

It hurt. It hurt to watch her cry and shout and talk in a resigned voice. It hurt to watch her shake as she spoke, to hear nothing but sheer emotion in her voice.  
He must have sat there for hours, listening to her, finally _ taking that step of communication in their relationship._

_And then, she asked him to talk. _

So he did.  
It was hard at first, he stammered and took long intermissions of silence as he tried to find the words.  
But he _ talked. _  
He told her all about discovering his feelings in Thirteen. The yearning for her, the guilt he had felt when he had found her. The guilt of leaving her behind again...  
He told her all about how he had felt all those years ago. And how he felt _ now. _  
It wasn’t perfect. A lot of it was him making faces at his struggle to talk. But she understood him easily enough.

It felt so terrifying to be open like that, to give all his thoughts and feelings to her... Haymitch had never felt so _ vulnerable... _ He felt uneasy. As if he was vibrating under his skin, an urge to do something as opposed to staying still and _talking. _

He wanted to run, or hide. Or turn the entire room inside out.  
He wanted to leave and push her away and never speak to her again. 

It was _ so _ hard to keep talking and listening, it took everything in him to do so.

By the time they are done, he is exhausted.

Effie has shuffled closer, her knees are only a small distance away from his and a part of him is desperate to touch them together... To feel her again.

But he doesn't. She is still trembling and they're sat in silence but this one isn't tense, it's just _ sad...  
He thinks she's absorbing what he's told her. The same way he's running through what she has told him._

"I love you," she confesses eventually. "I just want you know that, still. I think a part of me always will."

It steals his breath away, he's never heard her say it before and it doesn't bring the panic he had always thought. Instead he feels admiration... At how she can sit there and tell him all of that, yet still allow herself to be more vulnerable afterwards.

Haymitch had always thought of vulnerability as a weakness. Allowing someone to understand you like that, giving yourself to somebody wholeheartedly... It was terrifying and it made him feel weak and helpless. But watching Effie do just that, he didn't see a weak person. He saw a strong person. Someone strong enough to voice how they felt without the fear of rejection. Someone headstrong and _ brilliant. _

Effie was all of those things.  
She was _ so fucking strong. _ It was almost unbelievable. He had watched her over the years, constantly getting back up after their kids had died and putting a smile on her face. Always being able to play the game no matter what, being able to withstand any the humiliation of failure... He had always admired that about her.

And then afterwards, when she had been rescued, she had confessed that she felt weak. That she had wanted to _ give up... _ He had laughed in her face, told her she was one of the strongest women he knew. And he had been telling the truth. When he thought of strong women he admired, when he thought of his mother and the qualities she possessed... He could see Effie. She wasn’t as selfless, sure. But she would do anything for their kids... He knew that.

And it stole his breath away, how she could still surprise him even after all these years...  
_ I had just wanted you to love me. _  
That is what she had told him earlier that night.  
She couldn't see his feelings for her...

"It's not that I don't," he tried. "Effie, I-" He wanted to tell her everything. He had already poured his heart out that night, opened himself up to her more than he had ever before... _ I love you too, _ he wanted to say, _ and I miss you, come home with me, let's give us a try... _ But instead he choked. "I..." He couldn't do it. He felt sick, his throat was tight and he stood up, desperate to _ do _ something. Run or hide or...

"It's okay if you don't feel the same way," she said quickly, standing up with him. "Really, Haymitch, I'd just like us to be friends." He shook his head. Friends wouldn't do. He needed _ her. _ He wanted to hold her every night, he wanted to wake up to her hair all over his pillows. He wanted to smell her burning toast every morning, to see her brush her teeth every night next to him...

So why couldn't he say that?  
He had confessed so much that night. Why couldn't he say _ this? _

“I want you," he attempted. "I want _ you. _” He reached out, tried to hug her or _ anything... _ He needed to feel her for a moment, to take some comfort. He felt like an open book and it was suffocating. He just wanted her for a moment, a breath of fresh air so he could focus and explain and...

She didn't get it.  
She pulled out of his loose embrace... Her eyes cast down to the floor as she bit her lip...  
"Haymitch," she said and her voice was raspy. "I don't want that."

_ Could you hear a heart breaking? _ Because Haymitch was pretty sure he heard his own _ crack _ in half when she told him that.

He felt his eyes fill with tears and he blinked them away angrily.  
He wanted a fucking drink.

He turned around, heading to the bar and refilling his glass.  
He was going to finish this drink and then he was going to leave. He was going to sleep in the lobby and catch the first train back. He was going to...

“Haymitch," she called. He couldn't bring himself to turn around. He felt so stupid, so... _ Rejected. _ Losing his girl had hurt. But _ this? _ This was a brand new type of pain. His entire body ached... Haymitch felt the same as he had holding his guts in the Arena all those years ago. Helpless, weak, desperate for something to stop the pain, death or...

“It is not that I don't want to," she spoke to his back. He could hear that she was crying. He could hear her sniffles as she tried to keep it together and it hurt even more. But _ she didn't want him. _ There wasn't anything he could do to help her... "I don't want it to be like before. Just sex... It is too destructive for me these days. I am old. I can't... I can't deal with that again. If you do want to sleep with me, I need this to be a commitment. I need the stability because I can't go through what happened before again..."

“I don't need to sleep with you!" He rages. Before he knows it, he's throwing the glass at the door. Pure anger is fuelling him, he feels _ out of control... _ “I just wanted you! I just want to... to..." He can't do it. All over again, the anger leaves and his throat constricts. He can't give what he wants to say and it kills him.

"What?" Effie asks, suddenly worried. He doesn't know what happens but suddenly he's on the ground and she's with him, holding his face in his hand as she speaks frantically. "Haymitch? What is it? Are you okay? I-"

“I'm fine," he manages to say but he's not. He just wants to curl up and _ cry... _ He just wants to be alone and let out all of this frustration. He wants to go back home and drink his favourite liquor...

"I love you," she says like it'll solve everything. "I love you and I'm sorry." He doesn't know what to say and she's openly crying now, pressing light kisses against his face - everywhere but his lips. "I _ want _ you, Haymitch... I do, so badly. I _ love you _." His heart clenches at each word and before he knows it, he's pulling her lips down to his. He's kissing her like his life depends on it. And at that moment, it feels like it _ does. _

He kisses her.  
And it feels like finally breathing again. It feels like everything he'll ever need and want for the rest of his life.  
It feels like breaking through a body of water...

She returns his kisses with the same ferocity, her hand cups his cheek, the other wrapping around his neck as she pulls away breathlessly...

"Haymitch," she whispers and his name has never sounded so satisfying. He doesn't let her think, he kisses her again and again until she's straddling him on the floor, her entire weight on top of his...

It feels so good to have her in his arms again. To taste her...

"_Haymitch,_”she keeps saying his name, it's breathless and needy and it tears a groan from his throat.  
He sits up, securing an arm around her back so she won't fall as he rises to be on her level. Once he's sure she's balanced, his hands find her hair and he draws her back to his lips...

He's not sure how long they sit there kissing.  
He's not even sure how they make it to the bed.  
All he knows is at some point , he ends up bare chested, and his hands are on her breasts.

Their lips never leave each other's, he barely opens his eyes. He's too focused on feeling her. On the warm feeling in his chest. He can feel her everywhere. It's not even entirely sexual, it feels other worldly and Haymitch can't get enough...

But then her hands are on his belt and he freezes.  
She notices straight away.  
It jolts them out of whatever spell they were under.  
They're both stare at each other, eyes wide and clouded with lust...

In the background, Haymitch can see the sun rising. The new day starting. And it helps clear his mind.

"You said you didn't want to," he reminds her, gently removing her hand from his belt as he tries to calm down.

“I do," she's quick to correct. "I do but I shouldn't..."

"Why?" He asks simply. It's not as hard as he thought it would be to calm down. Not when she's in his bed, eyes bright and hair tousled. He doesn't even _ want _ sex right then either. He just wants to feel her. To know she's there with him...

“Because I can't do this arrangement again," she replies. Still, she shuffles into his arms, tucking her head under his and looking out at the rising sun. "I need something... serious. I need strings attached. I cannot keep feelings out of it if we have sex, I cannot separate them... I _ never _ could."

"I don't want you to," he sighs irritated. "Let's not do anything tonight." She looks up at him thoughtfully. "Let's spend the day together. I will buy you lunch..."

"Are you asking me out on a date?" She says with a smile. It's the same smile from earlier, a little less carefree perhaps. But still happy.

"Yeah," he says even though the word terrifies him... He shifts to move away from her, to get out of bed...

“Where are you going?" She asks, tugging his arm back to bed. "Sleep with me..."

He lifts his eyebrows but allows her to tug him back...  
"Seems a little bit backwards," he chuckles, lying down again. "Ain't I supposed to sleep with you after the date?" She flashes him an amused smile and slaps his chest lightly...

“Go to sleep, you silly man," she orders.

He tightens his hold on her for a moment...  
And then, he does.

* * *

When he wakes up, she's gone. And for a moment, Haymitch is scared everything was a dream. 

Then she pops out from the bathroom, dressed in a pretty dress with flowers on it and smiling right at him... 

"Good afternoon," she says, never departing her smile. "I made you some coffee. I know you prefer tea but I don't have any in the room..." 

"It's okay," he replies, still watching her. She stops at the end of the bed and simply leans against the bed... "Somebody's happy this morning," he comments, reaching over to grab the mug from the side and taking a sip. 

“Well, I have a lunch date," she chuckles. She flashes him another excited grin before she returns to the bathroom and it's only then Haymitch realises he's been returning her chuckles. 

He frowns, this time yesterday he had been miserable... The very idea of seeing Effie was terrifying. Yet now, after last night. He feels light, a little scared maybe but good. Everything he's longed for is in his grasp and he's damned if he's going to _ fuck _ it up this time... 

By the time he's woken up, she's left the bathroom and the whole room smells of her perfume... It's not the same as the one she used to use. It's lighter and reminds Haymitch of spring in Twelve. 

He drags himself out of bed ten minutes later.  
He has a quick shower and then he puts on the nicest pair of jeans and shirt he's packed.  
When he leaves the bathroom, he feels strangely nervous...

It's not the first time he's been on a date, but it's his first proper date, one where he can afford to take her to a nice place for lunch... He hasn't tried dating since his girl and he's scared that will show... 

“Are you ready?" She asks when he spots her on the sofa. Just watching her makes him feel at ease. The tension in his chest just leaves and it feels like he just _ knows _ what to do.  
“Yeah," he shrugs. 

Effie grabs her bag and he opens the door for her. It's a little awkward in the beginning but once they've left the hotel... She loops her arm in his like she used to, all those years ago when they'd hunt sponsors, and then everything feels natural. 

They find a place to eat and he watches her over the table. She's got her hair half up and it makes her neck look that much prettier, he just wants to kiss along its length... To see if she'll produce the same breathy noises she used to when he did that before... 

He finds it very hard to decide what to order after that. A part of him almost asks for _ her _ when she asks him. 

"What would you like, darling?" She's playing it coy, he knows it. There’s no way she doesn’t know what’s going on in his head. The smug smile tugging at the end of her lips... The pet name... She's going to tease him the whole time _ just because _ and he almost calls the game off immediately because he's not sure he can handle that. 

He hasn't slept with a woman since he slept with her before he left for Thirteen.  
In Thirteen, there was the kids and withdrawals and then missing Effie, there wasn't much time for him to think about sex.  
Then when he had found her, she hadn't been in any state to do that and he hadn't minded waiting. Just having her there with him had been more than enough for him at the time, he'd had so much other stuff still going on, Katniss and Coin and the trial...  
He had only begun to miss it after he'd travelled back to Twelve. When he was left alone in his house...

There was nobody for him to even consider sleeping with at that time, but that was implying he had wanted to sleep with somebody other than Effie. And he hadn't. He had always imagined she'd come home with the boy... She'd knock on his door like she used to every year and he'd pin her against it... 

But that had never happened and eventually, he just lost interest.  
At some point, Haymitch had just given up completely and the revelation shocked him. 

“Haymitch?" Effie asked. "Where are you off to in your mind? Don't you know it's rude to ignore your date?"  
"It's not when she's talking about shoes," he snorts, he takes a sip of his drink and then puts it down. "Ain't it rude to only talk about yourself?" She mockingly glares at him, but quickly engages him in a conversation about little Finn. 

The conversation flows freely after that, and before he knows it, he's paying for lunch and they're leaving. 

They end up walking to the beach. Effie is telling him all about how blue the water is and Haymitch is passively listening... She is acting like he has never seen the sea before and it is admittedly _ cute. _

He can't bring himself to stop her so he lets her drone on and on, in awe at just how natural it feels to walk with her. To eat lunch with her... He wonders if she realises it too... 

She holds his hand right next to the waves, the wind is blowing her hair into her face but he can make out the soft smile when she reaches for him and he lets her.  
It's the first time they've ever held hands. But it feels like they've been doing this forever.  
The weight of her hand in his is comforting and nice. He doesn't feel the panic at being caught by somebody, or having to hide what they have. He feels content and _ happy... _

Before he knows it, the sun is setting. 

"I've had a really good day," she says when he comments on it. She's barely departed from her smile all day and Haymitch _ loves _ it.  
"Wanna grab a drink?" He asks, not willing to put an end to whatever they'd built today...  
"Sure," Effie agrees.

They walk around for a while aimlessly, neither of them know where the nearest bar is. And Haymitch is almost sure she's walking them further away from their hotel... 

Eventually they ask someone and then they end up laughing at themselves because Haymitch had been _ wrong_. And Effie had been going the right direction. He couldn't find it in his heart to be annoyed when she had such a smug grin on her face. 

When they finally find the bar, it’s to get dark. He marvels at the amount of time they'd managed to spend together not arguing... It seemed their talk last night _ had _helped things. 

She spent the whole time at the bar tossing him sultry looks. Her feet running up his calf teasingly, licking her lips and flirting...  
Haymitch wasn't sure what game she was trying to play.  
But he's barely finished his first drink when he asks if she wants to go back.

She doesn't answer, instead she’s simply taking his arm and pulling him out of the bar. 

They half stumble, half briskly walk to the hotel. It's not far from the hotel but it feels like _ hours _before they get back. 

The minute the elevator door closes, he kisses her. 

It's not as rough or hard as he used to kiss her, it's slower and more tender but she kisses back with all she's got and it doesn't stay sweet for long. 

He can tell she's eager, and _ so is he. _  
It's been _ two _ years. Haymitch isn't sure how he managed to live without her, without kissing her... 

When the elevator opens, she pulls away and grabs his hands, practically dragging him down the hallway to their room. 

He presses himself behind her as she slides the keycard in, kissing at her neck like he had wanted to all day... 

He's rewarded with the same gasp as before, her head falls back for just a moment, her lips parting when he finds a sensitive spot... 

The door is half open so he gently pushes her in. He turns around to make sure it's closed and when he turns back around, she's pulling her dress over her head. 

"_ Fuck... _ Sweetheart," he remarks when he's faced with her naked skin... She's not wearing the same kind of undergarments as she used to, these are simple and white but they're lacy and _she's _wearing them so it's good enough for him. 

He reaches for her but she avoids his hands, leading him to the bed... 

Haymitch is rushing to pull his shirt over his head, she's sat on the bed now and he doesn't want to lose sight of her, so perfect and _ his..._

She must be as impatient as he is, because as he's doing that, her hands reach out to his belt. Opening it and then doing the same with his trousers... 

He can't hold back his groan when she palms him through his underwear. She smiles up at him, her amusement clear at making him lose control. 

The moment he's free from all his clothes, he pushes her hand away gently and takes off his underwear. 

And then he's pushing her back on the bed, on top of her. 

And it feels wonderful... It felt like coming home...  
Taking her nipples in his mouth, sucking on them. Her gasps and gentle writhing... It was all he ever needed for the_ rest of his life. _

Haymitch kisses down her stomach, intent on tasting her but she pulls him back up for a kiss instead. She wriggles out of her underwear while she kisses him... Loops her legs around his hips, holds him close... 

“I need you," she whispers against his lips and Haymitch is of similar mind. He takes himself in hand, lining them up... He wants to watch her when he enters her. He wants to see the same need and want reflected in her face...

She gasps his name when he finally does. Her eyes are barely open but they’re watching him too. Her legs wrap as firmly as they can around him, pressing him into her. They’re as close and possible. And it's been so long... He buries his face in her neck for just a moment, taking in how wonderful it feels to be inside her again...

“Haymitch," she murmurs, he hasn't moved yet and he can tell it's frustrating her... Gently, her hands pull him by his hair out of her neck, so she can look him in the eye. "I haven't... I haven't since the war." The knowledge forces him to give a shallow thrust, out of his control. She bites her lip, her eyes bright and insecure... She's_ his. _She's missed him as much as he's missed her...  
"Me neither," he says quickly, before he's pulling back and _finally _moving properly. 

He keeps his thrusts regular but he doesn't try to speed it up. There's none of the tricks he knows she likes, it's not flexible or rough. It's tame and gentle but it's _everything. _ Haymitch _loves_ watching her again. Hearing her gasps and whines... It feels like he's _complete. _

He doesn't last long as long, he didn't expect to. But when she throws her head back, her nails digging hard in his shoulder... He can't hold back.  
He grows frantic, encouraged by her whispers of his name. Encouraged by her hands trailing down his back, groping him and urging him on...

When he collapses on top of her, she buries her face in his neck like he had before and just _holds _him. He's sweaty and he feels drained but he holds her back... Desperate to keep this feeling of _content _and satisfaction as long as possible.

"I love you," she speaks into his neck.

“I..." he tries again but he can't. He kisses her shoulder in frustration. "_Effie._”  
"I know," she says, her grip tightening on him. "Haymitch, I _know._”

When he eventually pulls out, he feels empty.  
Effie immediately snuggles against his chest, her hands drawing patterns on his chest.  
Haymitch can feel his eyes drooping with sleep...

“The kids are never going to let us hear the end of it," Effie chuckles suddenly. He glances down at her on his chest and lets himself smirk...

_They really aren't._

**Author's Note:**

> Will I ever stop writing the same post-mj stories? Probably not. Is this even Hayffie or have I gone too ooc? Probably. This started off cracky, went very weirdly emotional and they just full on coconuts... I don’t even know what this story was supposed to be anymore lmao.  
Formatting this was a nightmare so I apologise that it’s not perfect. I honestly made a mess of it and I’ve literally just spent a good hour fixing it all. 
> 
> Poor Haymitch is probably begging for me to stop writing him, he’s turned into a soppy emotional old man somehow xD


End file.
